The Poultry Keeper

Loudmouth Schnook · Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2007 6:41 pm Post subject: Mink attack?

I found one of my Aylesbury ducks (or rather OH's birthday ducks Crying or Very sad

) in my burn this afternoon - attacked in the water it seems - half it's neck chewed/missing and lots of feathers everywhere. This is in the deep part of the stream - steep sides and there's a 'pool' at the bottom where this duck was found. Think it may be mink? I've not heard of mink on this part of the island before, but now I'm wondering.... Any thoughts folks?

mcleod-girls · Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2007 9:28 pm Post subject:

Really sorry, hope you find out what has killed it. Sad

Loudmouth Schnook · Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2007 9:37 pm Post subject:

I'm thinking more and more it's mink. I found the old thread from last year when Debcat's chooks were attacked.... they do hang out in streams as the instructions to using a mink trap says to put it by the side of a stream... I'm going to be contacting the Hebridean Mink Project tomorrow (or Scottish Natural Heritage) to see if they are now doing Lewis and provide a trap. Last year, they completed the Uists with mink eradication and from the searches I've done on google, no new news, still waiting on funding for Phase 2 - Lewis.

debcat · Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2007 9:40 pm Post subject:

Do you have a local gamekeeper down there?
thats where I borrowed my trap from
never caught one and never had any problem since, so he was probably right that it was a passing male looking for new territory

Loudmouth Schnook · Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2007 9:46 pm Post subject:

I don't know if we've got one here. I'd have to get a hold of the Stornoway Trust I suppose as we're not on estate lands (I take it you're part of Galson?) and the peat moor is SSSI.. so either SNH or ST. Hopefully I'll get somewhere!

debcat · Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2007 9:49 pm Post subject:

it was the galson gamekeeper
the stornoway trust or SNH should know where you can get one from

Loudmouth Schnook · Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2007 9:53 pm Post subject:

I hope like yours, it's just a temporary aborration. The ducks haven't been near the burn today and are hanging out well away, under bushes - which is unusual for my lot.

chook-in-eire · Joined: 11 Sep 2006 Posts: 76

Sounds like a mink alright. I found they grab birds by the throat and start eating at the head. Foxes seem to tear into the belly. And mink live near streams, arterial drains and such. Sorry about your duckie. Sad

A good terrier can work magic on mink. Ours did. Wink

chook

Loudmouth Schnook · Posted: Fri Feb 16, 2007 12:51 pm Post subject:

rang SNH - they are now doing a mink project scheme for Lewis and Harris now. But the guy running scheme not in, stuck in Ullapool as ferry possibly not sailing today... apparently they haven't lent out traps for a few years now. Hopefully the guy will give me more info on Monday. Just paranoid the mink having had a taste, will come back for more.

CP · Posted: Fri Feb 16, 2007 1:03 pm Post subject:

I hope not LMS. Sad

Spana · Joined: 30 Apr 2005 Posts: 2127 Location: North Cornwall

I also think mink. Never had one take any ducks, I dont think, but a few years ago I found a big stash of dead and dying frogs in a hole under a log at the side of the lake. Horror movie stuff. They all had two tiny bite marks to the throat and the wildlife trust said mink. I set a mink trap but never caught it but it did clear off. Hope you get it before he has another go.

Loudmouth Schnook · Posted: Sun Feb 18, 2007 5:42 pm Post subject:

Been speaking to a neighbour of mine -he's from N. Uist - has loads of stories from the olden days when he was a kid on a croft - anyway, he thought it might be otter as the attack was at night, in the burn. He told of a story where when he was a kid, the chicken house door wasn't closed all the way and an otter got in, but he couldn't get out. Found him the next morning next to several hen carcasses, necks ripped open and the otter too fat to get out as he was full of blood - I didn't know it was blood minks and otters go for. Like vampires... Explains why they just chew the neck and not eat the rest of it. Either way, the SNH guy will come round tomorrow and have a look see at the carcass and see how he can help us if it is mink.

Loudmouth Schnook · Posted: Mon Feb 19, 2007 12:04 pm Post subject:

Update: definitely was mink. SNH has a local trapper in Gress and hopefully he'll be along in a few days to set some traps...

CP · Posted: Mon Feb 19, 2007 12:05 pm Post subject:

Hope you catch the little b*****s! Twisted Evil

Gilly C · Joined: 22 Jun 2006 Posts: 2474 Location: South Cumbria

Good luck !